Unseen Garden
by Kyouka Suigetsu
Summary: 15 years after Echoes of the Past(prequel to Unseen Garden, in progress now), the children of the cast of Naruto must take their graduation exams, as well as undertake the chunin exam and face new evils(SPOILERS) sasusaku,naruta,shikaino,kuresuma,nejiten
1. Unseen Garden Prologue

Prologue

It has been 15 years since the fall of Itachi Uchiha. All the genin have long since become chunin, and many have graduated to jonin level. Also, in these times of peace, many of the suppressed feelings these children kept inside have been realized and the result was a thing that has never happened in the history of the Hidden Villages. Namely: various clans have married together and conceived children. These youths now hold the future of Konoha in their hands.

Many things are happening all at once. A war is beginning between the countries of Earth and Lightning. And the true threat is the dangerous potential that these children carry. New bloodlines are emerging through these marriages and new threats have been created from that.

I only hope that these nine children, including the two whose parents disappeared long ago, can accept their fate and ultimately change this world for the betterment of all ninjas. And hope seems to be the only thing we can believe in as these chaotic times begin again.


	2. Unseen Garden Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Konoha Village seemed so tranquil even after the constant destruction it had been through. Of course, Hitomi never really cared about what had happened in the past. She always focused on the here and now. Sliding out of bed, she tousled her light brown hair a bit, a habit she had never grown out of. Looking in the mirror, she blinked and her normally black eyes changed a deep shade of gold, as if there was an individual radiance within them. This was another thing she couldn't change. But she shrugged it off and quickly changed into her ninja outfit.

Looking back to the house she had lived in for nearly all her life, she smiled. It was so small, only a story tall, a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen the only rooms in the entire house. It always seemed so big to her, but that was probably because her parents never lived here. She never knew them that well. She only knew her friends and teachers. And one teacher seemed so familiar to her, but she never understood why. She shook her head and rushed off to class, even though she was early.

Another set of eyes watched the young girl, one pale white, the other a piercing black and red. The eyes seemed dead and they blinked and faded away in an instant.

Elsewhere, another girl awoke to the birds that had roused her from bed every morning since she was small. Rubbing her eyes, she was careful not to wake her brother, who seemed to always sleep with one eye open. A scary eye at that! She tiptoed all the way to the kitchen, where she snatched a few rice balls and a tea packet. She spoke silently to herself.

"Need to get some early training in before brother wakes up…"

She slid open the door, but stopped at the sound of her name.

"Risa…"

Spinning around, Risa stifled a scream as her brother stared at her, one of his eyes; the left specifically; instinctively closed.

"Minoru…what are you doing? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Just wondering where you were going. You've been leaving early for the past two weeks. Somebody you're meeting? Or…secret training?"

Risa gasped and composed herself, replying, "No…just want to watch the sunrise…"

"Ok…see you at class…" Minoru replied, stumbling back to bed.

Risa nodded and ran out the door, purple hair blowing in the wind, emerald eyes glinting in the sun.

Kenta liked to practice his ninjutsu against animals; especially cats.

"Akimaru…I'll find you…"

His orange eyes darted around, looking from tree to tree, focusing chakra into every crevice. This was what improved his chakra levels, but it also exhausted him. He still hadn't had breakfast, and he needed to find that stupid cat. He sat, the soles of his feet pressed together and his knees parallel to the ground. His eyes squeezed together, still concentrating on finding his opponent. As if he saw the feline through his eyelids, he grabbed out at the air, snatching the tail. A screech from the cat knocked him out of his stupor.

"Got you! Now let's get back home to have some of Natsumi's breakfast!" Placing the cat on his shoulder, he rushed through the trees, blonde mess of yellow and gold hair still clouding his vision. Yet again, the two orbs of light and darkness shone through the forest and disappeared just as fast, unseen even to Akimaru, much sharper vision than Kenta.

Just as Kenta stopped to catch his break, a shuriken narrowly missed his face, cutting his cheek. He heard a chuckle behind him and turned around to see a smirking face, reminiscent of a snake's grin.

"Basho…don't scare me like that!"

The taller ninja replied with another giggle, still smiling like a raccoon, "But you need to keep your reflexes up, Jotaro. The test is today and most everyone has been training early this morning. But you've lost your touch."

Kenta smiled and a hand grasped Basho's shoulder from behind.

"With all your intelligence, Basho, I thought you would've known that was a clone, namely my cat."

A burst of smoke revealed the foot high pet, its head cocked to the left.

Basho's fear turned to confidence as his hand grabbed Kenta's shoulder from above. Kenta looked up to see Basho, standing upside down, using the younger ninja's shoulders to support himself.

"You're still slower than Tsunade-sama! We'll see who becomes a genin today!" Basho pushed himself off and faded into the trees, leaving behind a trail of purple smoke.

Kenta glared towards the direction of the smoke and turned back to face the village, grabbing up Akimaru and disappearing into the leaves.

Konohamaru sighed, putting a hand to his head. Three of his students were late, and it didn't surprise him who they were. Basho reminded him of his father: lazy and apathetic. But he had incredible talents. Why couldn't he see that for himself? Jotaro and Kyoji were probably sparring again. Thos two were so much like Naruto and himself. Fighting to gain a position that one would have to abandon.

Suddenly, the door burst in, three figures standing in the dust. Jotaro, a boy with brown hair down to his ears and eyes that shone as deep a green as the forest, was the first to walk in, overly confident, a swagger in his step. Kyoji's hair was cut shorter, nearly past his forehead and his brown eyes a mix of anger and sorrow. Following Jotaro, the two sat in the back of class, stumbling as they walked up the stairs. They sat near Kenta, who still sat in the same fashion as his partner, his legs crouched up and his hands flat on the seat.

Hitomi, Risa and Natsumi all sat in another row. Natsumi reminded Konohamaru so much of her mother. Her eyes were green like Jotaro's, but were a medium shade; lighter than her elder brother's, but darker than Risa's.

Basho stepped in last, slouching slightly, his face dead and empty, quite juxtaposing his grin from that morning. Konohamaru adjusted his headband, his dark brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Well, good morning everyone. Today's our final exam and I hope you're all ready."


	3. Unseen Garden Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Everyone in the class seemed to groan, either inwardly or outwardly as Konohamaru spoke these words. Konohamaru replied with a teacher's voice, gained over years of experience with Ebisu and his grandfather.

"All right, that's enough. The final exam will be held in the next room. We'll call you each individually. Be ready for anything… Okay…first is…Haruno Risa, come on in."

Brushing her purple hair out of her eyes, Risa skipped over to the next room, nearly blissful about the final.

Minoru sighed and closed the single eye he had open. Not even a minute had passed when Risa returned, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Hitomi, come on!"

The golden-eyed beauty stepped up and followed Konohamaru into the next room. Basho slid back in his seat, taking a much-needed nap, while Kenta, Jotaro and Kyoji talked amongst themselves. Minoru stayed silent while his teammates, Shige Hyuga and Natsumi quietly talking about their idol behind his back. Risa sat alone, still afraid of her brother's constant habit of keeping his left eye shut or hidden by a mask. What was the secret behind his left eye?

After only about five minutes, Hitomi stepped out, still smiling.

"Next up…Natsumi Hyuga."

Natsumi slowly stepped up and quickly rushed towards the door, still blushing at the glance from Minoru, his eyes as calculating and aloof as Sasuke's in the past.

Shige realized she had Minoru all to herself now, but then gasped as Hitomi began talking to the "pretty boy" of Konoha.

"So, Minoru…you nervous about the final?"

Minoru blinked, still hiding half of his face with the mask and his mouth with his clasped hands. He cocked his head towards Hitomi and spoke, "Not really…you've heard what Konohamaru-sensei says. I'm just like my dad, a child prodigy… But that's the last thing I wanted… But that's my purpose…" He then reverted to his brooding face, still half shrouded by the mysterious white mask, etched with red markings.

Nearly 10 minutes passed and Natsumi returned, still blushing.

"Shige Hyuga, you're up."

Shige leaped up in eagerness and sped over to the still open doors, a burst of wind following her. Konohamaru sighed and dropped his upper body a bit in disappointment.

Jotaro and Kyoji slipped behind Kenta and Akimaru, both hands covered in a slimy substance resembling skunk spray. They thrust their palms forward, the green mist releasing out in a spray that completely covered the two. As the stench settled, Kenta and Akimaru still sat, totally unaware. Minoru waved his hand a few time and performed a hand seal to drive away the putrescence. Kenta and Akimaru's image began to fade and Kyoji disappeared, attacked by Akimaru. Jotaro looked around in confusion. Shige screamed out in success as she returned to her seat, still jumping with excitement.

"All right…Basho Nara" Basho snapped out of his dream and walked slowly to the exam room, still drowsy from his nap.

Jotaro still looked around for his brother, who was still nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he felt a tickling on his nose. He turned to the left and blurted out various obscenities, covered by his brother's newly sprouted tail, furry as Akimaru's. Cocking his head to the right, Kenta giggled and leaped up into the ceiling. Basho slipped outside, still dead on the outside, and then shifting to his raccoon grin.

"Minoru Uchiha…prepare yourself…" Minoru sighed and stepped over, removing his mask as he entered the room. Risa scoffed in anger, as she hadn't seen anything of his eye. Only a few minutes passed before Minoru returned, the mask already on his face again. Risa growled, something reminiscent of her mother's temper flaring up.

"Jotaro Uzumaki…"

The brown haired ninja slowly walked towards the door, still looking towards the ceiling.

Kenta appeared behind Minoru, covering his eye.

"Guess who?"

"Kenta, quit it…I won't hesitate to hurt you…" Kenta giggled and backflipped to Hitomi's seat. He faced her, still crouching.

"Akimaru, is that you?" A burst of smoke revealed that it was Risa. Kenta lurched back and returned to his perch in the ceiling as Jotaro returned. Still looking around, Jotaro returned to his seat. Risa stood up and sat next to Jotaro, who became flustered instantly.

"H-hi Risa…So…who do you think we'll get as our instructor?"

Risa smiled and slowly slid forward, her eyes closed and lips pursed.

Inside Jotaro screamed "Hell yeah", but outside, he sweated profusely. Suddenly, he found his lips locked with Akimaru's. A scream smothered Konohamaru's next call, and the chunin in training walked towards Jotaro, ready to scold him, but he stopped in his tracks at the sight. Jotaro was on the ground, foaming at the mouth and eyes pale with shock. Konohamaru sighed and called again to the next student

"Kenta Uzumaki… If you scare your brother like that again, you'll automatically fail."

The orange eyes glinted and disappeared into the next room.

Jotaro awoke to Risa again and he turned to run and crashed into the wall, fainting again. Minoru sighed again and closed his eye, still meditating. Shige and Natsumi were still thinking about their partners in the genin trials their parents had talked so much about. Hitomi and Kyoji were discussing techniques just as Kenta returned.

"Kyoji Yuhi, your turn!"

Kyoji waved at Hitomi all the way to the door, his hair still maintaining its sheen.

The group of students who had already passed all remained motionless as the minutes passed by. Kyoji returned and stood, his face blank. The others rushed towards him, all eager to find out the results. Kyoji looked up, a frown across his face. The frown distorted and Kyoji began cackling as he stuck his thumb out, indicating victory.

Konohamaru stepped out of the room, the other three instructors following suit as a woman of nearly seventy took their place. Tapping her cane, she cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention.

"Tsunade-sama!" All the students called out in unison, all bowing whole or half-heartedly.

"Well, it has been a while since I saw students. It all brings back memories… Anyway, I'm here to give you your team assignments. Genin Team 3 is Natsumi Hyuga…Shige Hyuga…" The first two team members were tense with excitement as the third name rolled off Tsunade's tongue, "and…Minoru Uchiha" Natsumi and Shige both began chattering hysterically as Minoru sighed.

Hitomi smiled acceptingly at her luck. Tsunade pulled out the next envelope and spoke "Genin Team 4 is Basho Nara…Jotaro Uzumaki…" Kenta glared at Basho as he smirked, "and Kyoji Yuhi."

The last envelope didn't need to be told. Hitomi smirked at Kenta and Risa as Tsunade spoke again.

"Well, the last envelope need not be told. Kenta, Hitomi, Risa, welcome to Team 12!" The three glanced at each other again as Tsunade continued, "Genin Team 3's instructor is Inuzuka Kiba, Team 4 is Aburame Shino, and Team 12, Hitomi's team, is Choji Akimichi."

As the ninjas slowly left the room, Tsunade called out again, "Hold on!" All nine stopped instantly, "Well then…your training starts tomorrow. And watch out for a team of four old jonin. You need not get involved with them. They're examining a special candidate. Well, good luck!"

Minoru glared suspiciously at Tsunade, but composed himself and turned to exit, his teammates following. Jotaro and Basho left, still glaring a storm at each other, Kyoji grinning behind them sheepishly. Hitomi smirked at Kenta and Risa, her experience making the other two a bit nervous. She then spoke in a tone that reminded the younger ninjas of Tsunade.

"Don't worry, you two. I'll protect you with my life if I have to… But then, we won't have to worry about it with _our _sensei…" The other two giggled and followed Hitomi outside to the village.


	4. Unseen Garden Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Minoru's group had been waiting for fifteen minutes when their instructor stepped in. The masked side of Minoru's face seemed to sigh as he saw the familiar sight before him. The one called Kiba Inuzuka had spiky black hair and a small dog on his head. He reminded the genin so much of Kenta Uzumaki. Scratching the back of his head, the dog ninja spoke.

"Well…hey… Oh, screw it, I'm no good at introducing myself. Here goes… Kiba Inuzuka. My partner here is Akamaru and I'll be your instructor. Let's have the rest of you briefly introduce yourselves. You first, gloomy." He finished, motioning to Minoru.

Removing the mask, Minoru opened his left eye to reveal a dark gold tint. He spoke, still maintaining seriousness, "My name is Minoru Uchiha. In short, I hide my face because of this left eye. Since I can remember, I've had this golden eye. Some call it a blessing, others a curse, but regardless, I have strength because of it. I prefer to keep this a secret."

Kiba nodded and turned to Shige, "You next!"  
Shige nodded and blushed as she turned away from Minoru, as he returned the mask to his face.

"Shige Hyuga. I take after my mom a lot. We both love throwing weapons, and I've even made up my own technique. My dream is to one day become as strong as her, or even surpass her. If I had a like or dislike, they would be…well the important thing is…I hate being bored…"

Kiba sighed and turned to the last student, "Your turn…"

Natsumi immediately blushed and looked down.

"M-my name is Natsumi Hyuga. I chose to carry on my mother's clan, though I don't think I have our clan's bloodline. I do have a special move that I made up. I also absolutely love tending to my garden, but I'll have to put that on hold for now…"

Immediately becoming silent, Natsumi turned away. Kiba smirked and thought to himself

This oughtta be fun…

Basho continued to nap in the classroom as Jotaro paced across the room, still waiting for their instructor. Kyoji continued his taijutsu training, shadowboxing across the floor. The door creaked and in flew a small bee, buzzing towards Basho. Just as the insect reached the sleeping ninja's nose, a dart of purple smacked it away.

A voice called into the room.

"Not bad. You're still aware, even in your sleep."

A man stepped in, sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a fleece jacket with a collar that covered his neck and lower face as it stuck up, looking like it was frozen that way.

Jotaro pointed at the jonin, focusing mostly on the sunglasses.

"Who do you think you are, tough guy? You think those sunglasses make you look all big and bad, but there's no way you can be our teacher. You don't look much older than us."

The jonin caught the fallen bee on his finger and removed his sunglasses, revealing empty sockets with black clouds of gnats in their place. Jotaro stepped back, his face pale. Replacing the lenses, the instructor spoke.

"Call me Shino Aburame. We need to get more familiar with each other, so introduce yourselves if you will. My only addition is that my specialty ninjutsu is the use of these chakra bugs. How about you, ghostie?" Shino said, pointing to Jotaro.

The ninja composed himself, taking a deep breath and began, "Jotaro Uzumaki, eldest son of Naruto Uzumaki. My friends say I act like my dad, but I'm going to surpass his reputation." He finished with a demonic grin, as Shino remained silent, "You're up, Kyoji."

The steel ninja smirked and replied, "Name's Kyoji Yuhi, son of Kurenai Yuhi. I act more like my dad, but I never did like his habits. Anyway, I love to work metal, especially when I smith blades in my spare time. That's about it…" Kyoji finished and looked towards Basho, who still snored, a bubble rising and falling from his nostril, "Basho! Wake up!"

Basho snapped out of the seat, losing his balance and crashing to the floor. Standing up, he yawned and spoke in a monotone, "Basho Nara… I think you know my parents. I like to think, but anything else is pretty ordinary and boring to me. That technique you saw…I call it Mental Chakra. Watch out for it."

Shino nodded and replied, "I will… Okay then, let's get right to it…"

Hitomi looked out the window as the sun shone through the trees, an ethereal luminescence in her own eyes reflecting the radiance before her. Kenta, Risa, and Akimaru all played together, still more childlike, even with their gifts. They felt the floor creak as the door slammed open. A stocky man with hair that was divided into two large spiky puffs walked in, swirls around his cheeks. He had a bag of chips in one hand, the other shoving the crisps into his wide mouth. Hitomi was confused. This was their sensei, the legendary leader of the Akimichi Clan, Choji the Destroyer? Choji stuffed the empty bad into his pocket and looked across the room.

"Okay, I'm Choji Akimichi and we just need to introduced each other. Just so we can be more relaxed." He pointed a greasy finger at Hitomi, who smiled nervously and spoke.'

"Hitomi. I have no clan, since I'm alone, but I make a great living. I will never let my friends die for my mistakes and that is my solemn oath to you, master. Oh, and I especially enjoy learning about others."

"Good start, "the jonin replied, "What about you…two?"

Kenta smiled and replied, "I'm Kenta Uzumaki. This is my cat partner, Akimaru. My specialty is stealth, but you'll never realize it until you've already lost." Akimaru mewed in response.

Choji sighed, always used to this type of student, but never completely satisfied.

"Lastly is you with the purple hair." Choji said pointing over at Risa, who sat quietly at her seat.

Risa gulped and spoke softly, "R-risa Haruno. Graduated nearly top of the class. Hobbies are…training and painting. I hate people who keep secrets from their friends. I absolutely adore Tsunade-sama, and I hope to be as powerful as she is one day, and even surpass my mom in illusion skills!" The change from silence to excitement surprised Choji. He adjusted his headband and turned out the door.

"Well…let's go. We've gotta get to training. That is…if you're ready." The three youth all looked sharp and eager in their own ways and followed Choji out the door.

Hitomi stopped for a second and turned to look around, as if she had seen something. A message attached to a shuriken lodged itself in the door. Opening it, Hitomi read.

"Power is the purpose of living. Discover your rhythm in this perplexing symphony of heaven and hell."

She kept the paper in her pocket and rushed out the door, the eyes of duality blinking from the shadows of the room. The shadow then spoke, a heartless tone.

"Remember my message well…Hitomi of Taigan Duality."


	5. Unseen Garden Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The grove that Genin Team 3 arrived in was covered with grass and a few scant flowers. Not a single artificial item stood. Kiba always enjoyed this place. He thought it a shame to ruin such a beautiful place.

"All right. First off, you'd better be prepared to kill Akamaru and me. Otherwise, you won't catch us. The goal is to catch both me and Akamaru. But trust me, that won't be easy. Each of us has a scroll that gives directions to the other. We'll be pretty far from each other, so take your time. You'll have the whole day, with one lunch break. But you're sworn to keep quiet about any directions during that time. Got it?"

"Any other catches to the trial?" Minoru inquired as he relaxed his shoulders.

"Oh yes…there's a third scroll Akamaru hid that you'll have to find. But it's hidden. Find it and you're guaranteed to pass." Kiba smirked to himself, thinking of how delightfully difficult the test truly was.

Hehehehe…Firstly, they don't even realize the directions are false and the scroll is hidden in such a way, they'd never think of it until the day is over. And we have our own little tricks to show them…

Shino looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed. He hoped his team was ready to use every trick they knew. His training was rarely completed, and only two teams before this had passed. Turning to the still sleepy group, he spoke.

"Very well… I assume you're ready for your assignment. Firstly, you must all hide yourselves well. You must then maintain that stealth while trying to complete your second task. While keeping silent and incapacitating any opponent; namely, any of your teammates who uncover your position, you must also attempt the hardest trial I have ever given. You must steal my sunglasses from my face. It seems easy, but hardly anybody ever actually even comes close. Any questions?"

Basho yawned again and spoke, his eyes still drooping, "Yeah, are we guaranteed to pass if we get your glasses?"

Shino narrowed his eyebrows and replied, "Yes, but you have to do it on your own, otherwise, you fail. Understood?"  
All three ninjas nodded and Shino snapped his fingers, initiating the test. He thought to himself as he released various insects from his palms in huge clouds.

This will be easy. I'll release my gnat eyes to keep reconnaissance on all three of them. All the while, bee spies will gather bits of info about their techniques. And finally, my offensive wasps will guard my sunglasses well. They'll have to work together to actually stand a chance, but that's the catch. It takes a great deal of common sense to see through my bluff. I hope they can. I wouldn't want to fail such promising talent…

Genin Team 12 had started off late, but Choji had made sure they kept up with the other two groups by running the whole way with no breakfast and one snack. His training area was practically the largest and most thick with forest, but there was a reason. Turning to the team, he spoke.

"Here's the deal. There are three pills there that I lost…seriously, I can't find them. Anyway, there's a blue one, a yellow one, and a red one. Find them and bring them back by the end of the day. But there's a catch. I'll be chasing you the whole time."  
Kenta chuckled and Risa couldn't help but join in. Even Hitomi cracked a smirk. Kenta was the first to speak up.

"There's no way you can catch us. You may be an elite ninja, but you have to have limitations in the speed and agility department."

"…I stand corrected. You also have to do your best to stop me. But do it alone, or you'll fail. Got it?"

The three nins nodded and all rushed into the forest, all their gear already prepared the day before. Choji smiled and pulled out a blue pill. Popping it into his mouth, he immediately focused chakra and tripled in size in 15 seconds. He thought a bit before going into his rolling rage.

There's always a catch. They can get the three pills, but stopping me is next to impossible without the proper set of techniques. Also, the forest is so dense; it'll be hard enough to run away from my Meat Tank attack. But they _are_ the children of the Rookie Nine. Let's see how good they really are.

Kiba and Akamaru separated and were followed by Shige and Natsumi. Kiba nodded to Akamaru as they ran and a burst of smoke revealed a second Kiba. Minoru slowly walked into the forest, following the overeager allies. All three ninjas seemed to blast through the forest, all unleashing their powers.

Shige cursed her luck, realizing her only specialty technique was useless, unless she had more shuriken. But she was desperate. She stopped and began flowing chakra into her feet, spinning around in a circle that grew increasingly red and in an instant, Shige unleashed a volley of shuriken and kunai from all directions. She heard a scream and followed the source, finding a wounded Kiba nursing a wound to his leg. Shige smirked and rushed to grab the jonin, but instead held on to fur, seeing Akamaru. She shrugged and rushed the canine, slamming him to the ground. Looking frantically, she found the scroll and read the directions.

"Far to the northeast, you'll find my master." Shige smirked and rocketed in the direction the arrow pointed, leaving Akamaru to giggle and a burst of smoke revealed Kiba instead. He laughed and spoke, pulling out a second scroll.

"Well, this'll throw them off. I place this hidden scroll and they'll find it and think they've passed, when it's blank and useless. We'll see how good they really are."

As Kiba left the site of the fallen tree, Minoru blinked a few feet away and disappeared in an instant, now ready to use his ability. Removing the mask, he furrowed his eyebrows and the left eye glowed a copper hue and his legs lost all their exhaustion. He also acquired new mental focus, now developing a plan that would be perfect. That is if he could only find Natsumi and Shige before it was too late.

Elsewhere, Natsumi released seeds across the forest, each one glowing a bright yellow and then dissipating into the ground. She knew that this was the only chance she had. Anyone who passed by them would set off an explosion. She only hoped that Shige and Minoru would be aware enough to see her trap. Kiba grinned and followed Natsumi's trail.

Shige could swear she was getting close to Akamaru's scent and as she reached the point on the map, an explosion knocked her hard to the right, slamming her into a tree. She rubbed her injured side and thought about how stupid Natsumi was for setting traps and not telling her.

Minoru ran the plan through his mind countless times, thinking how they would first make Kiba and Akamaru more relaxed and then activating their unpredicted assault. He would have to take the initiative and find the girls first. Natsumi's black hair appeared in his vision and he stopped in front on her, grasping her mouth, effectively smothering her voice. He spoke into her ear, explaining her involvement in the plan. She nodded and turned around, looking for any sign of Kiba or Akamaru.

Shige shook her head in confusion and suddenly sighted Kiba munching on a fruit, totally unaware. She threw a set of three kunai, all perfectly aligned behind one another, so that even if Kiba blocked the first, he would have two more to deal with. A burst of smoke revealed Akamaru and Shige screamed in confusion as the knives lodged themselves behind each other in the adjacent tree. Akamaru rushed into the forest, Shige in hot pursuit. Natsumi grabbed Shige's neck and whispered a few instructions to her. Shige nearly attacked, but nodded and continued to follow Akamaru.

Minoru sighted Kiba and assaulted the master with his taijutsu. Kiba managed to keep up well, nearly relaxed about it. Suddenly Akamaru burst into the clearing, slamming into Kiba, knocking both of them silly. Kiba and Akamaru caught themselves and readied themselves for any attack. As they stopped, they narrowly missed countless explosions from behind. Thinking they were out of harm's way, a storm of crimson throwing knives breezed past them. Minoru smirked and performed hand seals, unleashing his supreme attack, which he called out as he released it.

"Breath of the Fireball Technique!" The towering burst of red scorched Kiba and Akamaru, while Shige grasped Akamaru and assured herself this was the real one, as he smelled even more than Kiba. Natsumi's seeds burst vines and bound Kiba. As Minoru waved the third scroll in front of Kiba, the jonin was still utterly shocked at the sheer amount of teamwork and began laughing uncontrollably, in-between screaming the same phrase.

"You…pass…hahahahahaha…You…freakin…pass...hahahahaha…."

As Kiba continued laughing, Minoru sensed a great chakra presence. He looked through the branches and gasped at the sight he saw.


	6. Unseen Garden Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nearly three hours had passed and Shino had found no action from the student trio. He could've sworn Basho was sleeping again and Jotaro and Kyoji had disappeared completely.

What could they be doing? My chakra bugs have never missed their target. Unless… No, it couldn't be…

Elsewhere, Basho slept peacefully on a tree branch. Woken from his slumber by another bug zapped by his Mental Chakra, he was getting a bit annoyed. During his time off, he had thought of a very sensible strategy to beat Shino at his own game. He knew firstly that he'd have to get up, but he also knew that in order to become a ninja, he had to actually work for it. Finding his two teammates wouldn't be hard, but it also wouldn't be as easy as he thought. Though Jotaro and Kyoji both seemed like buffoons on the outside, they had great abilities, especially Jotaro, as his father possessed the legendary Kyubi Chakra. He leaped from branch to branch, keeping Shino's gnat eyes away from him at every turn. Finally finding Jotaro and Kyoji, he nearly cried out in frustration. The both of them were training against each other again, and this time, Jotaro was winning. Basho then noticed a glint of gold in Jotaro's right eye, and it wasn't simply the light through the canopy. He focused his mind and released two bolts of violet that struck Jotaro and Kyoji in the back of the head.

Jotaro, Kyoji, quit fooling around and let's get to work. With my strategy, we're guaranteed to beat Master Shino's chakra bugs and get his sunglasses. Firstly, we have to start working together

But, Master Shino said…

I don't care what he said, Kyoji, he's bluffing. I used my Mental Chakra to read his mind and he's playing us against each other. You understand?

Both ninjas nodded and Basho continued.

Okay…here's the plan…

Another three hours had passed and Shino had seen no sign of his students. He could've sworn that Basho was behind all of this, but the boy was so lazy, it would've surprised him. He suddenly sensed a great chakra force coming towards him. Calling to his wasps, he noticed they didn't come. Someone was distrupting his connection to them. No matter, he could still fight just as well without them. He still also had his clone running through the forest. He saw that it was Jotaro who was attacking him, but it didn't surprise him. Rushing forward to attack, he punched through air.

A clone!?

Shino whirled around to see both Kyoji and Jotaro attacking him. He then unleashed his other bug companions and began a heated battle.

Basho searched through the forest for what he swore to the others was a clone. What little he could find out from reading Shino's mind was that he had a clone. But what kind he couldn't figure out. He then sighted Shino's fleece jacket and sunglasses. Focusing his Mental Chakra again, he now flung out his fingers, sending out five lines of purple chakra, only seen by him. He guided them with his subconscious, sending one to release a smoke cloud near the master, the other four lying in wait for the dust to clear. Shino rushed at him, still stolid as ever. The clone exploded into various bugs and Basho smirked. He thought as much. Now he just had to figure out how to distrupt these bugs from returning to their master. He still had one Mental Chakra line left. But how to use it? An idea came to him immediately and he ran, still running other possibilities through his mind. The cloud of insects still pursued him, but strangely, became smaller as Basho continued to run. Only one bug still followed and Basho stopped suddenly, the bug perching itself on his finger.

"That's it, little guy. I'm your master, now. Where are all your little friends? We've only got a short amount of time." A loud buzzing indicated his other friends were getting close. He leaped out of the way of Shino, followed by Jotaro and Kyoji. Basho strained to maintain focus and complete the strategy. Jotaro noticed suddenly that there were two Shinos. The true Shino smirked and spoke to his students.

"Well…try to find where the real me is…" Kyoji smiled and motioned to Jotaro, as both of them struck Shino. As the bugs flew in all directions and returned to Shino, the sensei laughed, "Didn't think you'd actually think that was me. I called your bluff, and you failed the exam."

"Not quite…" a voice called from behind. Shino blinked and realized his sunglasses were gone. Looking frantically around him, he saw Basho performing a handstand on his shoulders, holding the pair of spectacles in his feet. The leader of the group smiled and spoke, "Looks like I called your bluff, master, and we all pass…"

Shino was still in shock as Basho appeared in front of him and handed him his sunglasses. He spoke as he replaced the lenses, still being serious, but truly disappointed in himself, "Very well…you all pass. Your missions start tomorrow."

Basho and the others laughed, but suddenly stopped as they heard a murmuring in the next area of the forest. They parted the branches and gasped.

Kenta had been running for twenty minutes and was still searching for one of the three pills. Seems Choji had chosen him as his main target, since he had mocked him a while ago. He didn't mind, as Akimaru had proposed an idea to him. She would search for the pill, while he distracted Choji. Their agreement was swift and effective. Now, he just had to find out where the others were.

He sighted Risa out of the corner of his eye, still focusing her chakra. He giggled to himself, thinking how silly she was still training when the real threat was right in front of her. Hitomi was still nowhere in sight and he turned around to check for Choji when he saw Hitomi's golden eyes, still bright as day and only inches away. Nearly screaming, he ran away and was pulled back quickly by Hitomi. She spoke into his ear, telling him the good news.

"Kenta, I've found the red pill. Risa's still searching, and you haven't made any progress."

"I've been chased by the Choji Boulder for the past half an hour. Apparently, this is his chasing. I'm getting closer, but they're might be a catch to this whole thing. The blue pill might not actually be here, and the yellow pill is probably Choji's trump card. Seems like I remember reading something about the order of a special group of pills somewhere and order was…" Just as Kenta was about to speak, a crash frightened both of the ninjas and scattered them from the destruction of Choji's Meat Tank.

Hitomi sighed and looked down at the red pill, but it had disappeared. She then saw Choji stop and gobble down the red pill, now practically glowing with chakra. She had been so blind. Choji was trying to beat them at their own game. They needed to find that yellow pill, or they would fail. Risa appeared behind Hitomi, whispering in her ear.

"The yellow pill has been found. What about Kenta?"  
Hitomi looked sullenly back at Risa and spoke, "Seems there's a catch. Master Choji had tricked us. He already had the blue pill and now he's eaten the red pill. He can't get that third pill, or we fail. We've gotta have some sort of plan to actually win against Choji. Maybe…you'd better use that technique you've been saving."

"B-but, it's so risky. Do you really think we should do it?"

"It's a risk we've gotta take. Use it on my signal. Okay?"

Risa nodded and disappeared into the woods again. Hitomi gasped as Choji's Meat Tank plunged towards her. She ran as fast as possible, waiting for the right moment. Akimaru landed squarely on Hitomi's shoulder, delivering a message.

"What's that? …I see…Tell Risa it's time to use the technique…" Akimaru nodded and disappeared.

As Choji began to close in, Kenta suddenly appeared behind her, calling out.

"Hitomi! Get ready to initiate plan 'Pop the Balloon!' "

Hitomi nodded and darted to the side, letting Kenta egg on the bulky master.

"Come on, chubby! You can't catch me!" he heard a response from the rolling juggernaut as he prepared his technique.

"W-what was that? I'll…I'll kill you!" Choji's speed suddenly increased drastically and Kenta gasped as Choji trampled him, leaving nothing but his headband on the ground. Choji stopped and returned to normal size, looking at his own bloodsoaked clothes. He began to cry, "N-no…I…I didn't want to kill the kid… I...I just got angry…Oh…no…no…no…" The once tough master ninja began to sob as he punched the ground.

Suddenly, his teary vision blurred even more and he shook his head as he saw Kenta smiling at him, Akimaru mewing. Choji jumped up, hugging the student he once thought was gone. Kenta was confused.

"I-it's okay sensei…It'll all be over soon, "he finished as he smirked a malicious smirk.

Hitomi smashed Choji on the back of the head, sending the heavy ninja soaring like a feather across the canopy, crashing into a tree. Choji looked up, a dumbfounded look on his face as he spoke, still teary eyed

"But...how? How did you do it? I thought I killed Kenta."

"That's because that's what your mind wanted you to think. And that's specifically what my Reverse Illusion is designed to do. Altogether, we didn't think you'd actually start crying, but now we know we don't mess around with your feelings. We're sorry sensei."

"Seriously, I just wanted to mess around a little. We'll be nicer to you from now on. And we don't think you're fat. In fact, the Akimichi clan is rumored to be very muscular, contrary to your…out of shape appearance."

"Y-you really think so?"

Hitomi nodded and pulled Choji up as she spoke, "We know so…You're a lot cooler than we gave you credit for."  
Choji's upper lip trembled and he began to sob again, pulling out a huge bag of chips, shoving them into his mouth again, all the while telling them they passed. The ninjas all smiled, knowing that their join would be all right; after he finished his chips, of course.

Kenta heard a sound in a grove to the west of their present position and as he and Akimaru looked, they gasped and called Hitomi and Risa over. There stood Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai and Asuma, the four legendary jonin. And in between them stood a boy not much shorter than his masters. His silver hair hung to his shoulders and his face frightened all of them. One eye was pure white, while the other was a deep black with a red spot in the middle. He seemed to notice their presence and turned to glare at them. He looked away and followed the jonins as they ran away, calling him away.

So…that's the special candidate…who could he be?


	7. Unseen Garden Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was near midnight as three ninjas appeared at the entrance to the Fire Country's borders. A small group of chunin appeared, all clad in the garb of the Konoha Village.

"Hang on, there. You're not going anywhere without authorization."

The tallest member, clearly the leader, pulled out a chain and sickle, still smirking.

"Don't worry. We have our authorization right here."

Three horrified screams rang through the night. The leader grinned, his teeth flashing, jagged as a tiger's.

"The Dragon Clan has arrived, Tsunade…"

Choji tapped the speaker on his headset, checking if his students were still there.

[Guys…well, one guy and two girls… Anyway…have you located the target?]

[This is boring… We couldn't do something a little more exciting. This is our fourth mission today. How many did you say we had to finish before we get to become chunins?]

[Ask questions later… Have you found it?]

[Object acquired on visual… Closing in on Hitomi. Get ready…]

[Roger…]

[We're ready on this side…]

Out of the trees from three different directions, Hitomi's team burst out, lunging at a mysterious shadow.

"Gotcha!" Hitomi screamed out as she held on to a flailing child, no more than four years of age.

"Lemme go! I'll get my daddy to beat you all up for this!"

"Save it, Mizuki Jr., "Choji replied as he appeared from behind, "Your dad's on a mission now…He won't be back for at least two more days…Just get back home."

Ten minutes had passed and Iruka's wife, Emi, squeezed her child close to her chest.

"Ohhhh…I missed you so much, sweetie!"

"Stop it, mom! Master Choji is standing right there!"

Choji sighed and turned back to Tsunade and Ebisu, who had become something of Tsunade's assistant. Ebisu flipped past a few pages and took the payment from the frantic mother, still as boring as ever to Choji. But this was his job until a real threat came along. The sunglasses slipped past Ebisu's nose and they were instantaneously returned to his eyes, which were beginning to fail him. The special jonin spoke, holding another slip with their new mission for tomorrow.

"Let's see here…Umm…I think this mission involves…Gardening Hinata sensei's garden…or is it…maybe…"

"Forget it!" Kenta called out, still peeved about their last mission.

Ebisu cleared his throat and faced the uppity genin, speaking in a more serious tone, "What was that? You'll accept the missions you're given!"

"Hold on, Ebisu," Tsunade spoke up, slowly stepping forward, "I think Choji's team deserves a special mission… Call teams three and four back here."

Minoru was getting slightly irritated. They had been waiting for nearly two hours. When was that stupid plane coming? He sighed, running a hand through his hair, almost tearing his hair out as he heard the telltale sounds of an approaching plane. Motioning to Shige and Natsumi, the three genin contacted Kiba through their headsets.

[Sensei!]

[The plane's here. We're ready to pick up the package.]

[Be quick about it. Hokage the 5th has called us back to the village. Says we've got a special mission to complete.]

[Fine…this was getting boring anyway.]

Shige leaped into the air, catching the small box as she turned in midair, launching back into the thicket, Minoru and Natsumi following.

It was finally the end of the day for Shino's group. He couldn't believe how trivial these missions were becoming. And what was the village getting paid? Next to nothing, that was what! Shrugging off the bothers, he contacted Basho through the headset.

[Wake up sunshine. It's time to go. This mission has been cancelled. There's a better mission waiting for us. It involves the other two teams as well.]

[Huh? …Oh…okay…]

Shino sighed again and turned towards the village, thinking to himself

What kind of missions involves three genin teams and their jonins?

Ebisu was getting impatient, which rarely happened in his old age. He was nearly 60, and every bone ached to get this mission over with. The last team finally arrived, a bit late, but no surprise, considering Shikamaru's child was in the group. As the 12 ninjas stood waiting, Ebisu called out.

"Hokage is busy now, so I'll tell you the mission… Let's see…Something about…ninjas…and…a…a mission?"

"Oh, for Kyubi's sake, let me see that, old man!" Kiba said, snatching the note. He gasped, his eyes widening as he handed the slip to Choji, who then passed it over to Shino. All three jonins were spellbound by the mission, but none of the genins could figure out why. Except for Basho, of course, but he was napping again. Tsunade walked outside her house, still tapping her cane, as she was nearly 70 herself, losing her sight and hearing. She called out to the three jonins, her voice a bit raspy.

"Where's the mission? Ebisu, you didn't lose it again, did you?"

"N-no ma'am! The three team leaders have it."

"I see…So…do you understand why we need all three of the groups of junior ninja?"

Shino nodded, while Kiba and Choji followed suit, still in shock.

"Well…here goes, "The Hokage replied, pulling her hand up, controlling the very air to bring the note back to her. At least he sight wasn't completely gone. "This mission will undoubtedly be your hardest, since it involves many different tasks at once. Firstly, there is a rogue trio of ninja from the Earth Country in our own country. This is breaking a treaty we made with them three months ago. We need to capture them and interrogate them about the reasons for their intrusion. They call themselves the Dragon Clan, which we've never heard of, even through intelligence groups. They're quite mysterious. The reason why we need all 12 of you is because the team is rumored to all be high-ranking jonins in their own country. Of course, they're also missing nins. But no ninja hunter has been able to catch them. All we know is they're called the Hanzo Daredevil, Hanzo with a spear and the Gengo executioner.

Anyway…the first priority is gathering info on their whereabouts and members. Next, you have to locate them and engage them in combat. Don't be reckless, you three. You know how dangerous Earth Country ninjas can be in their natural environment. And lastly, capture them and bring them back here, dead or alive. Understood?"

The trio nodded and turned to their subordinates.

"Oh, and continue training the children. They may get some combat experience on this mission."

"You get all that, kids?" Choji said, gaining a hesitant nod from all nine children.

"This'll be dangerous, so prepare yourselves accordingly. We leave tomorrow." Shino followed up.

Kiba grabbed Shino on the shoulder.

"Why do you think they didn't call on Kakashi's team? You know, with al the power of that kid?"

"Because he's still unstable. The seal has always been a bit edgy, but he's gaining a lot more power at this age. He's nearly an adult, you know. At that point, we have no jurisdiction over him. That's why we have our four best jonins guarding him. Anyway, you know how the kid is around others… A bit…violent, if you will."

"…I see…"

"Well, we'd better be off too, guys. We've gotta pack, food, water, supplies, food…"

Shino and Kiba simultaneously dropped their heads and followed Choji towards the inner village.


	8. Unseen Garden Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hattori was getting irritated. This was the third day of their little massacre and only one other team of ninjas had actually tried anything. He was beginning to think that Atsumi had been wrong. True, they had broken the treaty, but where were all the powerful ninja trying to kill them? And what about Tsuchigakure's Hunter nins? They hadn't made a move either.

"Well, Atsumi. …We've been itching for a fight. , Watanabe and me. And I'm willing to bet money you're ready to spill some more blood."

The tall man, apparently not the true leader of the Dragon Clan, hopped down from his perch. His face was leering like a demon's and he carried the chain and sickle, still covered with an indeterminate amount of blood from last night's slaughter. He spoke, still confident in his plan, "Don't worry, half brother. It'll be perfectly fine. I assure you that we'll see some action today. From what my sources say, three teams of ninjas are after us now."

"A little much, wouldn't you say? It'll be like overkill to us!" The most muscular of the ninjas replied, stillsharpening his spear.

"Oh, don't worry…We'll only have to kill three jonins. The rest are small fries. Junior ninjas. They're sending their weakest fighters to make us think they've let their guard down, when they've really got even more firepower back at Konohagakure. We've gotta be ready to take down these three teams. Then, we infiltrate Hidden Leaf Village. We've gotta find those gems."

"Why are they so important to you?" Hattori inquired, his tachi hanging from a tree, glinting in the sun.

"Simple…if we gain them, the other clans can't. To quote an unknown source of information, 'The sly eagle hides its talons, but the one who takes the initiative while doing so is truly the winner.' Oh, wait. That was me who said that. Hehehehehehe…"

Hattori sighed and looked up at the sky. He kept running one thought through his mind

What was the true purpose of a ninja? Was it to be what everyone wanted us to be, or to keep our integrity and become outcasts? Or…was it something else? He shook the feeling as he ripped the longsword from the sheath and cut away a shuriken.

"Atsumi…don't play around."

The slender ninja pulled back the invisible chakra line, bringing his throwing star back to his gloved hand, "Oops…must've miscalculated…"

Basho couldn't understand why the teams hadn't found their target, since the information they had acquired suggested that they were closer than ever. But it had been nearly a week, and they had found nothing. Shino, Kiba and Choji had left the nine genin in the village, since they felt it was their duty to find these three jonin and kill them for their treason. They told Basho that he, Minoru and Hitomi were in charge, much to the dislike of Jotaro and Shige. Their mission was to continue to gather any new information, but nothing had popped up. It was beginning to feel just like when they were back at Hidden Leaf Village, still doing D level missions. This was classified as B level, but they were still doing grunt work. Basho stood up, still drowsy, and spoke to the other two leaders, proposing his plan.

"Guys, I think we should follow Master Shino and the others."

Minoru glared at Basho, his left eye still closed, "Are you crazy? You heard what Tsunade said. Those three missing nins mean business!"

"And besides, "Hitomi replied, "we're still inexperienced. We've never faced a ninja outside of our own village, let alone, our own country!"

"That's not the point, "Basho retorted, "The fact is, they sent us with the three masters because they knew they'd need back up. And I think we should give that high and mighty Kage the benefit of the doubt. Round up your groups. We leave in one hour. And don't worry. If this plan fails, I've got five more to follow up with."

Minoru and Hitomi nodded in acknowledgement and walked over to their teammates and told them the news.

"What do you mean, we're following them? Are you out of your already unstable mind, Basho? Those three rogues would think nothing of killing us, even if we are kids."

"That's not the point. I already told the others. Shino, Kiba and Choji are going to need all the help they can get. That's why Tsunade sent us with them. She could just as easily put us under three other jonin. Master Lee and the others are still back at the village. There's a greater threat behind these three than just this war. We've got something to do with this whole war, and I want to find out what it is. What about you?"

Kyoji and Jotaro nodded in response and followed Basho to the outskirts of the village called Iris.

"You're really going to do what Basho says just because he's smarter than you?" Shige said as she glared at Minoru, as he stood brooding.

Looking up, Minoru continued to give Shige the icy stare of doom he always had when he was angry, "You know very well that's not the reason. We've got to do our duty to our masters. They may not need our help, but we've still got to provide support. It makes sense now. This is probably the reason we were sent here. We're a lot stronger than our parents were. So, we have to use these gifts and stop this war from getting any worse than it already is. Okay?"

Shige nodded and looked at Natsumi, who blushed and looked away, timid as ever. The trio followed Basho's team as they stood at the village gates.

"We can't, Hitomi. Tsunade-sama said…"

"That doesn't matter now! If we just sit here and mindlessly follow the rules, we're nothing more than drones. It's true: not following orders from our superiors makes us lower than trash, but if we don't do anything and they die, we'll be even lower than that. That's the essence of being a ninja: teamwork! Are you with me, 'cause I'll go alone even if you don't go with me…"

Risa looked down at the ground and Kenta and Akimaru simply looked at the sky, still unsure. Hitomi glared and turned around, stepping silently towards the gates.

Basho and Minoru looked at her, inquisitive looks on their faces.

"They're not coming, are they?"

"Just not ready for battle. Let's go."

Hitomi looked back at the village and as she turned back to the path, she heard a cat mew. Flailing around, her eyes teared as she saw Kenta and Risa following behind Akimaru.

"Ready to go?"

"We thought about it, and we realized how dumb we were. We're with you, Hitomi. Sensei won't die on our watch!"

Hitomi's eyes sparkled as she giggled and raced down the path, catching up to Basho and Minoru's groups.

"This doesn't look good, Shino." Choji said, clutching a wound to his shoulder.

"You don't need to tell me twice, chubby." Shino replied, still dizzy from the blow to his head a few minutes earlier.

"And you guys didn't notice me and Akamaru over here?" Kiba said, bloodstains covering nearly every inch of his body.

The Hanzo trio grinned as they readied their weapons for their finishing move.

"What do you think, Watanabe, Atsumi?"

"Is it time for the finishing move, brother?"

"I've been itching for a good battle, and we got it from these losers!"

"I guess we should. Get ready, you three…For the power of the Blue Dragon Triad Crush!"

Hattori angled his tachi, performing various hand seals with his other hand. Watanabe slammed his spearhead into the ground, focusing chakra into his feet, while Atsumi whirled the sickle around his head, giggling maniacally. Kiba, Choji and Shino could only look helplessly as the three death dealers rushed towards them, shaking the very earth with their power. A flash of light ensued and an explosion rattled the nine genin as they came closer to the battlefield.

Basho was the first to arrive and even with his normally cold demeanor, he gasped at the sight before. All their masters were on the ground, crumpled and undoubtedly dead. Minoru came next, still focused, but undoubtedly surprised inside. Hitomi clasped a hand to her mouth and barely managed to hold back a shriek of terror. The other six were in shock as well at the sight of their fallen instructors. Shino managed to pull his neck up and spoke to the students.

"Kids…don't…let them win…If they do, three clan secrets go to the grave. Do you want our village to fail? If not…then…kill…those…" Shino sighed and crashed to the ground, Basho clenching his fists.

"That…THAT DOES IT! I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!" Basho screamed, violet chakra surrounding him.

Atsumi smirked, the sickle still dripping with blood.

"Hattori, I think I found my opponent. What about you?"

"I'll just take my pick. Watanabe?"

"I'm just ready to finally kill some little kids. It's been a while…"

All the kids trembled at the chakra Basho unleashed, but even Basho's knees knocked at the power the three outcasts of the Earth Country carried.

This…could be a little rough… Basho thought to himself.


	9. Unseen Garden Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Hattori couldn't help but smile at the determination of these kids. They couldn't be older than 13 and they were trying their best to be just like the adults he and his friends had just killed. Swinging the tachi a few times for practice, he pointed the longsword at Hitomi's group.

"You…you're the ones I want to kill. You've crossed your boundaries quite a few times. Be glad my brother's not facing you. Guess that leaves the mask boy's team."

Minoru glared towards Hattori, who simply smirked and walked towards Hitomi's group, who instantaneously disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Hattori followed suit, launching himself into the forest after them.

Watanabe pointed the spear towards Minoru, speaking in a dominating, but foolish voice.

"I hope you're ready to die. It's been a while since I've killed little kids."

"Don't try to judge me before you've even fought me. That is always the downfall of the foolish. But you wouldn't ever realize that, would you?"

Watanabe squeezed the shaft of the spear harder than ever, his knuckles whitening as he rushed forward, his spear aimed straight for Minoru's head. At the last second, Minoru shifted to the right, grasping the spearhead between his middle and index fingers.

"What…how?"

" 'The weak always speak the loudest-Kakashi Hatake.' Remember that well…dunce."

Watanabe ripped the spear back, roaring towards the sky as Minoru's group casually disappeared as well, the juggernaut racing after them.

Atsumi was the only one left, still spinning the sickle around his head. He giggled a few more times before snatching the small kama out of the air.

"Well…this should be interesting. I kind of pushed your buttons a bit, didn't I, kid?"

Basho continued to grimace in fury as he held out his palms, screaming out as he released a huge blast of chakra towards the "executioner". Atsumi simply spun the chain around his head, performing the sign of the tiger as he grinned again, insane as ever. The purple chakra beam diverted to the left as Basho snapped his fingers and instantly killed the attack. Motioning to the team, he released two Mental Chakra bolts and turned around, rushing into the forest. Atsumi simply thrust the kusarigama towards the forest, using the weapon as a grappling hook, thrusting himself deep into the unknown. And yet, he felt strangely comfortable.

Kenta was still a bit scared as he ran through the undergrowth, Akimaru close behind. He couldn't find the others and as he burst into a clearing, he gasped at the sight of Hattori the Devil. The missing nin's leader simply cracked his neck and rushed towards Kenta, fast as ever. Kenta pulled out two shuriken, blocking the first tachi strike and narrowly dodging the second, getting a cut to the side in the process. The third slash was instantly upon him, but Hattori was thrown to the side by Hitomi, who backflipped and faced the sword-ninja as Kenta quickly rushed away, thinking of his own plan to win, this time, a strategy to kill, not to have fun. Firstly, he'd have to find Risa. If Hattori hadn't killed her already…

Risa hid in a clearing, still focusing her chakra, realizing she'd need all her power to use the Reverse Illusion on the newcomer. That is, if she wanted to win. She had been performing the sign of the tiger for nearly 30 minutes. She heard a rustling in the woods and screamed, but stopped as she saw Akimaru and Kenta. Kenta made a victory sign as he whispered into Risa's ear. Risa listened intently and quickly focused on hiding herself. A hurricane of leaves began to surround her and her form faded away into the brush.

Kenta and Akimaru continued to run and instantly switched places, Akimaru morphing into Kenta and Kenta into his cat ally. Grinning from ear to ear, the duo split and diverted in two directions.

Hitomi surprised Hattori. Her skills in taijutsu, as well as weapon fighting, were superb. And any ninjutsu he attempted was countered by Hitomi's two golden eyes.

So, this is the power of the Taigan Duality. I never thought it actually existed. I'll have to pull out all the stops.

Blocking Hitomi's kunai knives, Hattori grinned and quickly pushed the genin backwards with the full force of his sword. Tossing the blade into the air, Hattori performed the signs of the dragon, serpent and tiger, concentrating all his chakra into his hands as he caught the longsword. Slashing backwards, the tree behind him was split in two by the slash. Hattori smirked slightly as he held the blade diagonally across his face. He spoke not in confidence, but in sheer power.

"Hehehehehe…So…you ready to play with the grown ups, little girl?"

Watanabe was getting angry. He had destroyed over 20 trees already and none of the kids had shown themselves. Clenching his teeth, the behemoth stopped suddenly and slammed the spearhead into the ground yet again and roared to the sky.

Minoru smirked. This was too easy. Within 10 minutes the idiot had already given up. But then again, this ninja wasn't a complete moron. He realized his mistake and was now trying to right it. He wasn't just a berserker… But Minoru wasn't going to let his guard down. Removing the mask, Minoru focused even more chakra than ever into his left Taigan. The flash of light caught Watanabe's eye and after knocking two more trees out of the way, he saw the cocky little brat.

"Ready to die, punk?"

Minoru faced Watanabe, his left eye glowing as bright as lightning. For the first time in his life, Minoru felt powerful, dominating, the ultimate ninja. He grinned a strange grin, his eyes narrowing, but his mouth seeming to expand, wide as a clown. Performing the necessary hand seals, Minoru released his Breath of the Fireball Technique, with even greater intensity. As the smoke settled, Watanabe grinned. His whole form had been scorched, his shirt torn off by the sheer force and his pants now reduced to knee-high shorts. Minoru never realized how hideous an overly muscular person could be, until now. Watanabe picked up the spear, which he had dropped next to him and spoke, interested in the boy, but still intent on killing him.

"This is truly impressive. But as you can already tell, ninjutsu won't work on me. My body has been conditioned to resist it. You'll have to use brute force, and from what I've seen, you're all talk, even with that Taigan left."

Minoru continued to grin his frightening grin, as he spoke, "You don't know what powers this eye gives me We'll see who's all talk soon enough!"

Natsumi and Shige were whimpering as they saw Minoru facing Watanabe. He had become so frightening in this short time. They only hoped he wouldn't change for the worse.

Trees and branches spun across the forest as Atsumi continued to perform his "gardening" as he referred to it as. He'd find those kids even if he had to kill his own teammates. He had sworn that to himself. Stopping for a second, he pulled back the chain and caught the sickle in one hand as he looked from side to side. He knew those kids were here somewhere. But that one kid was so powerful. He'd have to take out the other two first. He suddenly sighted the one called Kyoji. He was already finishing his ultimate ability. Being in intelligence was such a rewarding experience. This boy would be easy, once he found the weak spot left after the merging. Atsumi darted through the forest, growing ever closer to the child.

Kyoji completed his merging and punched the ground twice for good measure, even though he knew that would only draw more attention to himself. He turned around and rose up his arm to deflect the metal scythe that nearly sliced off his head. Unbeknownst to the steel ninja, Atsumi had planned for this, bringing the chain around, binding the ninja. Kyoji clenched his teeth, trying to break out, to no avail. Atsumi came up closer to Kyoji, still grinning that jester's smile. He held the sickle to the back of Kyoji's neck, where his bare skin was exposed.

Kyoji smirked and replied, "How'd you know where my weak spot was?"

Atsumi grinned and cut the skin a bit, speaking with a hissing tone, "Simple… My intelligence reports already know about how your technique works. After observing countless times, we see that you always leave this spot open. I could kill you now, but I'd rather try to wait it out. You can only keep this up for a maximum of 15 minutes, then you fall out." Atsumi grimaced as he felt a kick to his back. Turning around, he saw Jotaro's right eye glowing and a strange force surrounding him. Atsumi pulled the chain back, spinning Kyoji around, leaving Atsumi a perfect moment to kill them both. He flicked the sickle around, guiding the chain to lance through the new brat and effectively gut the steel body kid. Jotaro narrowly dodged the sickle strike, but Kyoji was still dizzy and cried out as the sickle lodged itself in the back of his neck. Collapsing to the ground, he was caught by Jotaro, who cried out as well.

"Kyoji…pal…you…you can't die… Not now…"

Kyoji smiled and reached out a hand to touch Jotaro's face.

"I know man…I don't want to either…but…this hurts so bad. And Tsunade's not here… Just…kick that guy's butt…for both of us…"

"No…you… I'm not gonna let you die. We'll…we'll take you back to the village. The others can handle him…"

"No…just…forget about me…I did my best…but…he was…just too good…Remember to…tell Hitomi…I'm sorry…" Kyoji then spoke his last, falling back in Jotaro's arms. Countless memories flashed through the fox child's mind. Training, bruises, pranks…but they were all gone…

"That was in the past… But now…Now…" He clenched his fists, so hard that he drew blood. The wound slowly healed as the executioner came up behind Jotaro and held the kama near his neck.

"What's wrong? Your little metal toy broke? Well, that's too bad…I'll just have to break you…" Atsumi giggled to himself, unable to stop, but then screamed as he slammed into a tree. He looked up and gasped at the new aura that surrounded the brat. Jotaro turned to face Atsumi, his own demonic grin on his face. He spoke, now possessed by a new power.

"Hello…Gengo the executioner…Let's see how you feel…when someone's stronger than you…When the tables have turned…"


End file.
